Coal miner New Hope Group says its open-cut mine at Ipswich is the first in the state to be deemed totally rehabilitated.
The site, north of the Ipswich CBD, stopped mining coal from two open pits in the 1980s.
New Hope CEO Rob Bishop said the company made the decision to backfill the pits and reshape and rehabilitate the area to meet community expectations.
“The extensive rehabilitation works were conducted between 2014 and 2017 with ongoing works undertaken over the past eight years,” Mr Bishop said.
“The Chuwar coal mine site demonstrates New Hope Group’s commitment to being a responsible operator and ensuring the rehabilitation of mined land to a safe and productive post mining land use.”
A New Hope Group spokesman said the state government critically assessed the site and deemed it to be a safe and stable environment for agricultural use such as cattle grazing.
The spokesman said the rehabilitation of Chuwar demonstrated mining and agriculture could successfully coexist.
“The rehabilitation methods go above and beyond what the environmental regulator requires, which is some of the highest environmental standards in the world,” he said.
New Hope is in the process of rehabilitating two other Ipswich region mines at Thagoona Rosewood and Jeebropilly.
Source: Courier Mail
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